6 Reasons I'm Tired of Online Church

Are you sick and tired of online church? We understand. You're not alone. Sometimes, it just helps to process through why you might feel the way you do. So, here's a list of reasons why:

1. I'm sad I can't be WITH people. There's something sacred about physically gathering together with the people you love, while also worshipping God. The Spirit of God changes the atmosphere when God's people are together. While we can't yet be together in our church building, there are other sacred moments that can still take place outside of an hour and ten minute church service. Don't think that because you might be spending time with some neighbors or your family isn't still carrying spiritual weight. It does and it can be filled with holy moments. Encourage one another. Pray for one another. Eat together. Listen to music together.
2. I'm sick of staring at a screen. There's enough science out there to show the negative effects of staring at a screen all day. Some of you may have to do this for work. It can be exhausting when you're required to do it; but then experiencing worship on a screen can feel that much more taxing. Sometimes, hearing church or the message can give you a break from the screen and relax your eyes as well. Feel free to listen to the podcast instead.
3. I don't like hearing myself sing in my home. We're not all singers per se, and yet we're told in Ephesians 5:19 to sing out as a natural response to being filled with God's Spirit. It says nothing about how it sounds. If you don't want to expose your family or your neighbors to it, go into a small closet or the shower and belt it out. No one's watching or listening...maybe.
4. I think I might be experiencing some depression. Yep. This one's hard. It's a reality of being isolated. You feel alone. You feel trapped. You feel that perhaps this season will never change. It can be an endless spiral of despair. Please reach out if you feel this way. You are not alone in those feelings and it's so important to get connected.
5. It's too hard to focus with my kids around. Depending on the ages of your kids, they may just not sit with you while you're experiencing online church. If you are fortunate enough to own another device and your kids are old enough to operate it, they can access LifeKids material here. If not, it's ok. You don't have to watch or listen live. Be with your kids. Focus on them and their needs for now, and when you find time to connect with the service somehow, go for it. That's part of the beauty and convenience of the technology.
6. We just find "better things" to do with our time. Hopefully by now, you realize church doesn't exist for the benefit of our entertainment. Are there some entertaining churches out there? Absolutely! Do we try to operate with a high level of excellence so that you're engaged? For sure! Is it always going to land? No. What we experience at church whether online or in person isn't for our entertainment and consumption. We are built by our culture to be consumers and when we project that expectation on what we experience with church, we miss the point of church. It's not always about what I get from it, but also what I contribute to it. One way you can be the church is by staying connected to the messages, not just to hear some scripture being taught; but also to catch the heart and vision for where we're continuing to move as a body. If you're disconnected from that heart and vision because you've found "better things" to do, then you'll naturally feel disconnected from the body. Sometimes it's harder to engage than not. But, it's worth it for the sake of unity in our community.

Soon, we'll be together again. But until then, we are working hard to still stay connected. May God's peace be with you all.

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